Boys Intuition
by TheBaeTide
Summary: Rick and Michonne meet under unforgiving circumstances, which leads to them being at odds from the start. Forced to get along with each other for the sake of those around them, they soon learn that the heart wants what the heart wants. AU. No Walkers. Nightmare Rick. Dream Michonne.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Dedicated to the lovely IsisNicole x

Chapter One:

"Son? Hey, you alright there?"

Rick could see his father's lips moving, and he could faintly hear the words that followed, but the information just wasn't registering with him.

It was a warm, bright evening in Kings County, the type of days Rick preferred to spend sitting on his balcony with a bear in hand, watching other residents tending to their yards and the kids play in the street. Instead, he was in his father's back yard at a last minute family cookout, staring at the man and his new girlfriend.

When his mother died years ago, Rick had hoped that his father would move on when he felt the time was right, and he initially was glad to learn that he was dating again, but when the steady stream of short term girlfriends kept rolling in, Rick began to dread meeting his father's temporary affairs.

The Grimes patriarch wasn't like most men in town his age, as the man was incredibly active, working on his farm day after day, helping others when they needed it, often out with friends late in the evenings, and Rick liked to think that he knew his father well enough to say that he was looking for a likeminded mate, but looking at the lean, impeccably groomed, dark skinned woman opposite him, he was questioning if he even knew his father at all.

"Rick, do you need to sit down or somethan'-"

"No", He finally replied, shaking his head to clear his mind, "I'm sorry, I've just had a lot on my plate...uh, Michonne, was it?"

"Yes, nice to meet you", She beamed, holding out her hand donned in dainty pieces of elegant jewellery.

Rick shook it, "You, too"

"You know, I told Michonne that you had just moved", His father announced, resting his hand on the small of her back, "She's an interior designer you know, she could give you some tips-"

"Free of charge", Michonne added, flipping her long, black dreadlocks behind her as she grinned at Rick.

He hesitated to respond, "Uh, that's great, but I'm not much of a… I'm not a fancy guy"

A quick and light chuckle left her, "I can work with just about everyone and everything, I could give you my card-"

"Richard! I can't find those beers!", Rick's aunt called from the kitchen, causing Rick and his father to turn towards her.

"Alright! Coming!", His father called back, moving away from them, "Excuse me for just a moment"

"Sure", Michonne nodded her head, stepping aside as he strolled back towards the house.

Rick eyed the woman suspiciously, from behind his bottle of beer as he prepared to take a swig. It was evident that she was younger than him, and that she didn't live locally, as she was far too over dressed in her white, figure hugging sundress and heels. She was the complete opposite of everything Kings County stood for, and he wondered what brought her and his father together.

"So, Richard told me that you're a correctional officer?", She wore a friendly, almost contagious smile as she spoke to him.

"Yeah, that's right", He lowered his beer as he turned to face her.

"So do you work at that prison just outside of town?"

"That's the one"

"Oh, okay… That must be interesting?"

He smirked, "It can be, but not as much as people believe. It can pretty quiet most of the time"

Her eyes darted around his face for a moment, "Was that something you always wanted to do?"

His brows furrowed as he thought about her question, "You could say that it was"

Her gaze dropped as she nodded her head a second time, "It's different"

"Yeah", He huffed, swirling his beverage around in the bottle, "So how did you and my dad... meet?"

She shifted her weight from one foot to another, setting her hand on her hip, "I came out here to see a client and got a flat tyre. Richard was kind enough to stop and help me… and things just started from there"

"I see…", Rick really could see his father doing such a thing, "So you're from the city then?"

"I am"

He rolled his tongue along his teeth as he prepared to ask the next question, "So do you like fishing? Farming? Stuff like that?"

She raised a neatly plucked eyebrow at him, "Isn't it obvious?"

He shook his head, "You don't look like you do-"

"Should I have a fishing net in one hand and a bale of hay in the other to prove to you that I am?", She countered, tilting her head at him.

He slowly inhaled, "I apologise, I meant you don't appear to be the kind of woman-"

"You're foot's still in your mouth", She issued dryly, before giving him another of her light chuckles, "Richard actually plans on teaching me how to fish, and I've seen the farm, it's great actually"

He exhaled even slower, "Right. That's… yeah, it is great-"

"Dad!", Rick spun around when he heard his son's voice, and he was delighted to see his children barrelling towards him.

"Hey!", He glowed, crouching down to catch them in his arms.

"Grandpa said he had a surprise for me", Carl grinned excitedly.

Rick hoped it wasn't the same surprise his father had for him, "Yeah?"

"Toys!", Judith exclaimed trying to climb her father.

Rick chortled at her, "You wish"

"Sorry we're late, the queue at the grocery store was almost a mile long and then Judith spilt some juice on her dress…", Lori stopped herself when she noticed Michonne stood nearby, "Oh, hello"

"Hey", She smiled back, holding her hand out once again, "Michonne"

"Lori", Lori shook her hand, "Rick's ex-wife"

"So nice to meet you"

"Michonne is a… my dad's new girlfriend", Rick explained, standing up with Judith on his side.

Lori's smile tightened, "Oh! Well, it's great to meet you too, Michonne"

Rick's ex-wife's reaction was no better than his, and he cringed when he realised how awkward that must have been to witness, "This is Judith, and Carl"

Michonne cooed over the children, while Rick and Lori both shared a quick, knowing look, and he was glad he wasn't the only one surprised at the pairing.

He could understand his father's attraction to Michonne, as she was quite literally stunning, and from the few minutes of conversation he shared with her, he could tell that she had substance to her, quick witted and confident. Richard Senior wasn't a bad looking man at all, and he had a boyish charm that Rick refused to witness in action, but it still wasn't enough for him to see the two of them together, so when he managed to corner his father in the kitchen later that afternoon, he didn't waste any time touching on the subject.

"How old is she, dad?"

Richard Sr frowned at him, "Age is just a matter of-"

"Dad", Rick deadpanned, leaning on the counter, "How old is she?"

His father rolled his eyes as he poured a bag of ice into the cooler, "Twenty-nine"

His mouth fell agape at first, but then Rick's lip curled in horror, "Are you kidding me?"

"She turns thirty next month-"

"She was probably a baby when you was almost thirty!", Rick pointed out, his face crumbling as he did the math, "She was ten years old when you were thirty six!"

His father's side as he threw the empty bag aside, "Anythan' else?"

"She could very well be your granddaughter-"

"She's only a few years younger than you, so cut that out-"

"That doesn't make it any better"

"I'm a grown man, Rick"

"Exactly! So what the hell are you doing with a woman her age? Huh?"

His father shrugged, "Enjoying myself? Having fun? Getting to know her? Ain't that what dating is all about?"

Rick stared at his father with the most incredulous look that he could muster, "Could you imagine me with a woman your age?"

"If I knew you'd be happy, then yes"

"No. No. No. No", Rick shook his head before he pinched his nose bridge, "You… She… just, no, dad. No. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should"

"So you're not happy for me?", His father sat his hands at his sides as he looked at him.

He peered up at the man that raised him with a mortified expression, "Are you serious about this?"

His father tipped his head to the side, "We're having fun"

Rick nearly gagged at how suggestive that sounded, "So you're not serious about this?"

"Son, I was married for thirty-three years", His father began, slapping one hand down on the counter, "With your mother since I was sixteen years old-"

"I know, dad-"

"I had been nothing but serious for my entire adult life, but now I'm almost sixty years old and on my own. I didn't think I'd be out meeting women at this time of my life, I thought I'd have my Anne with me for years to come…", His father shook his head regretfully as his eyes trailed away from Rick's, "But that ain't the case, so now I'm… I'm just living whatever time I have left doing things differently, so If I wasn't to wake up tomorrow, I'd be happy today knowing that I've walked all kinds of paths"

Rick ran his hands over his face as he shook his head once again, "I want you to have fun, and I want you to be happy, but I don't want you to be stupid either"

"What's stupid about getting to know a young woman like Michonne? She's smart, she's funny, she's a hard worker, and she doesn't mind spending time with an ancient old man like me. And I'm not even rich!", The man chuckled at his own joke as he picked up the cooler.

Rick watched his father make his way back out into the yard, knowing that his words probably had no bearing on him. His father was content with the new direction of his life, and while Rick truly wanted his father to be happy, he just wished it was with a more age appropriate partner.

"So I take it you talked to him?", Lori stepped into the kitchen, carrying a sleeping Judith on her shoulder.

"I had to", Rick sighed, turning around to look out the window into the yard.

"Well, they're two consenting adults-"

"She's your age"

Lori stiffened as she joined him by the counter, "Oh"

Rick shook his head as he took Judith from her arms, "I just don't understand it"

Lori tilted her head as she peered out the window, "She seems nice. She's getting along great with Carl. Maybe this one might be the-"

"No. She's not"

Lori raised a questioning eyebrow at him, "How do you know?"

He tipped his head towards the window, "Just look, she's running around with the kids while he's stood over there drinking with his friends"

"...And what does that mean?"

"They are at two very different stages in their lives", Rick stroked Judith's brown curls away from her face, "He wants to run around, have fun, do thangs he didn't get a chance to when he was a young man"

"...And her?"

Rick's gaze fell on Michonne, who had hiked her dress up so she could crawl on the grass with Carl on her back, her heels thrown to the side. He smirked, "She's had her fun. She's looking for somethan' else now"

Lori squinted at him, "That's quite the analysis you have there, having only seen them together for a few hours-"

"You can't see anythan' I just said?"

Lori blew out a breath, "No because I haven't been studying them since I got here"

He shook his head as he looked back out the window, "It's as clear as day"

"Well I wish I could stick around and examine them with you, but we need to get going soon-"

"Yeah, I'll get Carl, you can go on your 'Goodbye tour'-"

"Hilarious", Lori rolled her eyes at him as they both began to make their way back out into the yard.

Most people couldn't believe that he and Lori got along so well since their divorce, but the truth was, neither of them could stand each other towards the end of their marriage, and it was better for their family that they went their separate ways, before things became acrimonious. The pressure was relieved when they did finally divorce, and they were able to behave better when they came to the conclusion that they weren't happy together.

Lori disappeared to say her goodbyes, while Rick made his way over to Michonne, who was still giving Carl a ride on her back.

"Hey...Sorry to break up the fun, but it's time to get you home, buddy", Rick gave his son an apologetic look.

Carl's shoulders fell, "Do I have to?"

"You do"

"Are you going home, too?", He quizzed, slowly climbing off of Michonne.

"No, not yet-"

"Then can't I stay with you?"

Rick tried not to sigh for a countless time that day, "You've got football practice tomorrow morning, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Exactly. You need your rest", Rick adjusted his hold on his daughter, "So what do you say to Michonne?"

"Thank you", Carl huffed, bowing his head as he stepped closer to his father.

"You are more than welcome", She smiled, standing up from her crouched position, "We'll continue this another day, okay?"

"Okay", Carl nodded his head, his dark locks bouncing, "Bye!"

"Bye!"

He led his son back over to Lori, and he continued to help put his children in her car before waving to them as they disappeared down the street quiet.

Rick had originally decided that he would stay behind to help his father clean up at the end of the day, but when he discovered that Michonne and several other family members had planned to do the same, he thought he'd take that as his cue to leave, which was easier said than done.

"Now I know that Lori is dating that man… what's his name… oh, uh-"

"Brian."

"Brian! That's it, now don't you think it's time you got out there yourself? Look at your father, he's having the time of his life! And I think it's time you do the same-"

"Uh…"

"I know a lovely young girl, oh she is just a sweetheart, I'll give you her number, she's a great cook and a great dancer-"

"Aunt Riley, I'm really not-"

"She's blonde, tiny little thang but she can eat a cow if you took the hooves off-"

"Sorry to interrupt", Michonne called gently as she stepped into the kitchen, "But Richard needs you to move your car, Riley?"

"Oh! Alright then, doll", Rick's aunt placed the dishcloth on the counter, "Don't you go anywhere, Rick. I'll be right back to give you her number"

Rick didn't respond as he watched the woman hurry out of the room, hoping she would become distracted and forget all about it.

Michonne hovered by the doorway for a moment, "I think you're free to plan your escape"

He straightened up, pushing away from the fridge, "Yeah. You're right..."

"Well It was great meeting you and your family. Richard speaks so highly of you all"

"Yeah, it was nice meeting you too. Maybe if you're still around for the next...", Rick stilled when he realised what he had said to the woman, "I mean, I didn't mean it like that-"

If Michonne was offended by his slip up, she did a fantastic job hiding it, as her smile didn't falter, "Don't worry, I got it"

"I just meant that it would be great to see you again"

She gave him a slow, understanding nod of her head as she crossed her arms over her chest, turning as if she was about to leave, but she stopped, and turned back to face him, "You know, I've only been seeing your dad for a few weeks, but I already know that he's quite the gentleman, he's always polite, he's very… traditional, and very gracious, but ever since I first spoke to you earlier, I've just been wondering how a man like that could produce such a tactless, judgmental, socially inept, narrow-minded son like you"

Rick was stunned to say the least, his head reeling back as he absorbed the last few insults she threw his way, "Excuse me?"

"All day you've been making these little snide comments here and there, and it's clear to me that you don't understand what's going on between your father I, and I don't blame you for that because it's a strange scenario to walk into, but the least you could do out of respect for your father is keep your opinions to yourself or save them for someone who actually gives a damn"

His eyes widened in shock, completely unaware that whatever he had said had offended her that much, "Now hold on a minute, anythan' I've said wasn't meant to upset you, I just… I misspoke a few times and that's it. There wasn't any malice behind it-"

"I thought that might be the case the first or second time, but after the third time, I got the message-"

"There is no message, you and my dad are adults and you can do whatever you please", He stated firmly, "But I need you to see that my father dating a girl younger than me isn't somethan' I'm used to, so I'm trying my best to wrap my head around it all while I'm in your presence-"

"That doesn't give you the right to say whatever you want", She issued sternly, her eyes almost glaring at him, "And it's ridiculous that I even have to say something like this to a grown man-"

"You don't, because I know that, and I told you that anythan' I've said wasn't meant to cause offence, so I'm sorry if It came across that way, it wasn't my intention"

Michonne looked him from head to toe as she spun around, her locks flowing behind her as she left the kitchen, leaving Rick to watch her stalk away as he felt slightly ashamed for his behaviour.

He was being truthful, as he honestly didn't intend to offend her in the slightest, but he was reduced to a bumbling fool in her presence, unable to completely accept the role she was playing in his father's life. The more he thought about it, the more the idea mortified him, but he was sensible enough to know that he had to learn to put his feelings aside, not only for his father, but because he was almost certain that he didn't want to be on the receiving end of Michonne's sharp tongue again..


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

"I never really get why people give their kids _their_ names. If that's not narcissistic then I don't know what is"

Michonne huffed as she rolled her eyes over to meet Andrea's, "They're nothing alike. His son was rude and judgemental"

"He's probably just jealous", Andre snickered, stabbing her fork into her salad.

"His ex-wife is pretty, in that 'girl next door' kind of way"

"Ex? See, even she moved on. He's bitter and he's jealous, so don't pay him any mind"

Michonne sighed, pushing her own salad away from her, "I don't get why it's so weird? I mean, yes, he is much older than me but he's hardly any different to a younger man. He's in great shape, he looks after himself, and he has such a laid back attitude-"

"What do you think he's like in the sack?", Andrea's eyebrows shot up as she leaned forward, "I heard older men have all the skills-"

"He's a gentleman, Andrea", Michonne quickly responded, "It's all very _above_ board"

Andrea frowned at her, "Really? That's boring"

"No, it's not", Michonne insisted, "Look, I've had great sex with guys our age but the conversation is just so tedious, and they don't ever want to do anything else besides go to bars… Richard likes doing things, going places, we talk about everything and I haven't even kissed him but it's still fun and exciting, and it's different... I mean, we haven't even had 'the talk' yet, but his son was quick to call to me as his girlfriend-"

"Did big Rick hear?", An evil grin spread across Andrea's face, "I have to be careful how I say that, I might slip up and say Big di-"

"No, he wasn't there to hear it and I'd appreciate if you just stopped speaking now", Michonne replied flatly.

"You know me, I think you can try anything once, so just ignore his son. He's just freaking out that his dad has a young, gorgeous, successful woman paying his old man some attention"

She sat back at her desk and peered out the tall window nearby, "His kids were adorable, though. A boy and a girl"

"Oh? Cute. I bet you were having the time of your life with them…"

"I guess I was…", Michonne tried not to let her mind wander any further, but it wasn't easy.

"Hey, are you heading down there again this weekend?"

"Yeah, he wants take me fishing…"

"Well, that's a _guaranteed_ way to make sure your date keeps her panties on", Andrea closed her empty container and stood up, "Listen, I have to get back to work but I'll call you later, so we can set up a day to go furniture shopping, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, speak to you later", Michonne called, though her mind was still elsewhere. She soon shook her head, ridding her thoughts of children and focusing on the discussion she had just had with Andrea.

When she first met Richard, their easily flowing conversation didn't register to her as a romantic one. He was funny, helpful and he seemed genuine enough, but it was clear to her that he was a man that was out of the age bracket she was familiar with. If he hadn't asked her to join him for lunch after he changed her tyre, she wouldn't have thought about seeing him again, but the way Richard held a conversation captivated her, so she was happy to go on a few more dates with him.

Like she had told her friend many times, there was a pleasant difference she encountered with Richard than what she was used to, and she just wanted to explore that, so she was looking forward for her fishing trip with him on the weekend, excited to try something else she hadn't done before.

Most of her work week was spent in her office, speaking with clients and making arrangements for their homes, which was something she enjoyed immensely. Being able to help create the right environment for all different kinds of people made her borderline ecstatic, and she truly loved her job because of that, so spending hour after hour in her office late into the night didn't bother at all, but it did mean she would want to spend her weekends doing something memorable and productive, and not stationed at a bar at ungodly hours.

"You excited for this?"

"I am", Michonne grinned, watching Richard set all the fishing equipment in the back of his truck, "We should have brought a picnic basket or something-"

"Don't worry, my son and his family are going to be out by the lake too"

"Oh?"

"Yeah, they're having a picnic or somethan' with another family, uh Morgan? Remember he and his wife Jenny from last weekend? We can stop by if you don't mind?"

"No, of course not. I don't mind at all", Michonne didn't particularly wish to be around his son again after their initial meeting, but none the less, she would grin and bear it. "So do you have any tips for a first time…'Fisher woman?'"

He chuckled at her as he walked around to the driver's side door, "I have plenty, the first being, relax and enjoy yourself. I'm almost certain that the fish can tell when you're eager to get one of them, and that's why they don't fall for the bait, so just sit back and let them come to you"

"Let them come to me", She repeated, climbing in the high truck, "Do you throw them back or are we keeping them?"

"Well that depends, I don't ever see the point in keeping those little ones, but if you get a decent sized fish, then we keep it. Believe it or not, but my grandson caught this big ol' thang when he was out there with me last time"

"Carl? He caught something?"

"Yep. We had to bring it in for him or else he would have flown off the boat. Bigger than anythan' me or my son have ever caught, so we were both jealous"

Michonne sniggered at him, "Carl has the magic touch"

"He does. We might have to take him on the water this time too, let him catch dinner for us all"

"Good idea", She peered out the windshield as they backed out of his driveway, "It's great that you get to spend so much time with your grandkids"

"It is. I try to spend as much time with them as I can but me and my son… we don't see eye to eye on a lot of thangs. I mean, we don't have any full blown arguments or anythan' like that, just bickering. Constant bickering. It's like he thinks he's my father now, and he's always trying to tell me off"

"Isn't that that the way It goes when you get older? It's time for your kids to look after you?"

"He can be a pain in the ass"

Michonne bit her lip as she tried not to laugh, knowing her own parents might say the same about her, given the chance.

They drove past a picturesque scene on their way to the lake; the sky was cloudless, allowing the sun to beam mercilessly on everything, including Michonne. She tied her dreads up, wrapping them in a messy bun on top of her head, and it came as a great relief to feel some breeze on her lean shoulders.

The lake was larger than she expected, and it appeared that they weren't the only ones with plans to fish, as there were several boats already sat on the water, leading Richard to groan in annoyance, "Now would you just look at that?"

Michonne shelled her eyes from the sun with her hand, "Is this bad?"

"When it's busy like this, the fish tend to hide"

She pointed to the small deck built over the water nearby, "What if we sat on the edge there? It's quiet, and we won't need to take a boat out?"

He began to frown, "You don't mind?"

"No, not at all", She shrugged, "Let's do it"

Michonne was genuinely looking forward to learning how to fish, and so she paid great attention to everything Richard said and did, once they were all set up. While she knew that she probably wouldn't take it up as a hobby, it was still a skill that she'd be able to tick off her list.

"This is actually really relaxing...", She announced, refusing to look away from the water by her lure, "...And stressful at the same time"

Richard smirked at her as he opened a can of beer, "Just give it a while"

"...So it's not going to be like in the movies-"

"No, I'm afraid you won't be wrestling with an eight foot fish"

Michonne felt oddly disappointed, and relieved at the same time, "Got it".

"Grandpa!", They both spun around when they heard the little familiar voice call from nearby, and sure enough it was Carl, followed by Judith, who tried her best to keep up with her brother.

"Well look who it is!", Richard beamed, rising from his seat to greet them, "My little guppies!"

"Have you caught anything?!", Carl quizzed him hurriedly, "Anything big?!"

"No, not yet, we just got started", Richard scooped up Judith, while Carl's eyes lit up when he noticed Michonne.

"Have you caught anything yet?", He stood beside her, peering over the edge carefully.

She smiled at him, "No, not yet. I don't think I'll be getting anything as big as the fish you caught though"

"Grandpa told you?"

"Yep. I'm jealous"

"So was my dad", Carl sniggered, hoping in his Grandfather's seat.

Michonne peered back to see where the kids had sprung from, and sure enough, their parents where stood by one of the benches with another family that she had met at the cookout setting up for their picnic. She swiftly turned back to Carl, "So, can you give me some tips on how to catch a fish?"

The little boys dark brows furrowed for a moment, "...Maybe drop your sandwich in the water… that's what I did"

A hearty chuckle erupted from her, "What was in the sandwich?"

"Peanut butter"

"So I need to drop a peanut butter sandwich in the water, and all the big fish will come over here?"

"I think so"

She leaned closer to him as she lowered her voice, "We'll have to try and get one from the picnic basket in secret"

Carl giggled as he peaked over his shoulder, "Okay!"

It was only right that she followed Richard to greet the others by the benches, though she purposely kept her distance from Rick after welcoming him with a civil, 'Hi'. The other family consisted of a man named Morgan, a friend of Rick's, and his wife Penny and no their older son Duane. Michonne easily got along with the others, including Rick's ex-wife Lori, who didn't seem to notice when her son snuck off back to the deck with a peanut butter sandwich, but Michonne did, and she was right behind him.

"You sure this will work?", She asked, peering over the edge from her seat.

"I think so", Carl had saved the other half of his sandwich, and nibbled on it as he too peered over the edge.

Michonne looked behind him when she noticed someone hovering close by, and to her surprise, it was Judith. The little girl kept a safe distance from her when they first met, clinging to her mother instead of playing with Michonne and Carl, but it seemed she was getting a little more comfortable. Michonne beamed at her, "Hi Judith! Do you want to join us?"

The little girl looked apprehensive, fiddling with the edge of her dress while her dark brows knitted together.

"...Okay, how about you sit with your brother?"

That appeared to be a better option, as the girl took the tiniest steps towards Carl, then squeezed in their Grandfather's fold out chair beside him.

"She's shy, like my dad", Carl informed, brushing the crumbs off his lap.

Michonne's eyebrows sprung up, "Oh really?"

"That's what my mom says"

"I think we can all get a little shy sometimes…"

"You catch anything yet?", Lori questioned as she approached them with bottle of water, holding it out to Michonne.

"Thank you", She breathed, taking it from her, "And nothing yet. Carl's giving me some great tips, and Judith's teaching me about the power of silence"

The little girl dipped her head shyly at the mention of her name, leading her mother to giggle, "They both bring completely different things to the table… So Richard hasn't had you milk a cow yet?"

Michonne shook her head as she opened the bottle, "No, not yet. I think he's saving the best 'till last"

"He's always so set out to show anyone that's not from around here ' _how we do thangs_ '. Honestly, I've never fished before in my life, and I don't intend to learn either", Lori glanced over her shoulder before hissing to Michonne, "You should drag him along on a shopping marathon, see if he could handle that"

Laughter burst from Michonne's lips just before she took a sip of her water, "I should, shouldn't I?"

"I bet you he would cry-"

"Ladies, I'm sorry to interrupt", The man in question announced as he stalked up to them, "But a friend of mine got into some trouble, ended up in the hospital with a broken leg and he ain't got anybody else around-"

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that", Michonne slowly stood from her seat.

"I'm sorry to cut our day so short, but I can drop you back at your car, and we can sort somethan' out-"

"After coming all this way?", Lori frowned, "That's a waste"

"I know", Richard side eyed his grandchildren's mother.

"You don't need to do all that", Lori waved her hand dismissively at him, "You go ahead and do what you have to do, she can stay out here with us, Rick can drop her to her car when he takes us home later"

Richard narrowed his eyes as he thought about it, looking towards Michonne, "Uh, would you wanna' stay out here?"

Michonne blew a breath, hating being put on the spot, but considering they hadn't even been at the lake for an hour yet, she truly didn't want to waste the journey, "Yeah, sure, I don't mind, if it's not too much-"

"See?", Lori shrugged, smoothing her son's hair down as she stood behind him, "We'll drop your stuff off at your house, too"

"Oh, alright, then…", Richard slowly, began to back up, "Well I'll give you a call later, alright?"

"Alright. Bye", Michonne called, realising it would be the second time she would be left up to her own devices with his family, yet she was glad, as they were still just as welcoming as the first time.

Sadly, she wasn't faring well when it came to fishing, much to both her and Carl's disappointment, as the boy had taken over his Grandfather's place as her fishing partner. Judith still hung around quietly, leaning forward so she could see past her brother whenever Michonne spoke, which only made the little girl appear even more adorable.

"Maybe the fish are… out buying some furniture for their underwater homes?"

Carl chuckled, "Or… Maybe they're out fighting bad guys?"

"And they have little swords that they carry around", Michonne added, watching how the boy was trying his best to think of a reason why they weren't catching any fish.

"...Maybe they're buying hats?", Judith piped up, wearing an unsure expression.

Michonne was delighted to finally hear her speak, "What colour hats?"

She looked towards the water for a moment, "Blue?"

"Some _fancy_ blue hats? I think you might be right Judith", Michonne could have patted herself on the back when Judith flashed her a nervous little smile, but instead she jumped, feeling a light tug on the rod she held, "Oh! Something's happening!"

"You have to reel it in!", Carl exclaimed, jumping up excitedly, "Dad! Dad!"

Michonne tried to do as she was told, the way that Richard had showed her, but it was proving difficult, as the light tugging turned into rough pulling, causing her to mutter to herself, "Oh crap…"

"It might be a big one!", Carl was bouncing on the spot, looking from Michonne to the lake.

"I'm still a beginner so I hope not", She breathed, stepping away from her seat so she could have a better stance.

"Should I get the net?"

"How about we see what it is first?", Rick suggested in a cool tone as he approached them, his eyes already on the fishing pole, "Is it still pulling?"

"Yeah", Michonne answered, keeping her grip firm.

"Alright then reel it in slowly, it'll get tired soon", He reached over and lifted the road slightly, "Keep it here, you don't wanna' give it too much line to play with"

"Should I get the net?", Carl repeated again.

"Yes Carl, you can get the net"

Michonne didn't take her eyes on the fish flailing in the water, "It's still pulling?"

"Bring it in a little quicker", Rick reached across her again and turned the dial at the base of her rod, "I'll get tired"

She did as she was told, slowly increasing the pace, and she couldn't help but smile at her efforts, "I cannot believe I'm doing this…"

"Keep going… keep going… now move back here", Rick instructed, moving to the edge of the deck.

Michonne took small steps backwards, all while continuing to reel the fish in, and as soon as the line was close enough, Rick grabbed hold of it, pulling it out of the water by hand, and she was sure she heard him mutter, "Jesus…"

"Look, dad! That's like the one I caught!", Carl pointed at the fish his father held up, "We did it!"

"We did!", Michonne glowed, tempted to do and do celebratory dance for her catch, "Can you see it Judith?"

The girl nodded with enthusiasm, "It's big…"

"You wanna' keep it or toss it out?", Rick quizzed, holding the fish out in front of him.

"Let me get a picture of it as proof first", She set the rod aside and retrieved her phone from her back pocket, knowing Andrea would never believe that she caught such a large fish, "Then you can toss it back…"

"We ate mine…", Carl admitted shamefully.

"...It was yummy", Judith added with a giggle, making Michonne chuckle once again.

Rick allowed her to take pictures of her catch before pulling the hook from its mouth and setting it back down in the lake. He then peered at his children from over his shoulder, "I think it's time for cake, don't you guys?"

"Yep!", Carl didn't need to be told twice, as the boy shot off down the short peer, and Judith wasn't that far behind him.

Michonne slowly inhaled as she prepared to speak to Rick, "Thanks for your help"

"No problem", He slowly stood up, squinting in her direction, due to the sun, "You might not have needed it though. Carl's a great teacher, too"

"Yeah, he is. It was his idea to use the peanut butter sandwich as bait"

Rick looked back towards the water, "I thought I saw somethan' like that floating around earlier…"

"You probably did…", Michonne's gaze travelled around their surroundings awkwardly, "Well, uh-"

"I don't think there needs to be any kind of bad blood between us", He issued evenly as he sat his hands at his sides.

She raised a neatly plucked eyebrow at him, surprised by his outburst.

"Anythan' I said last week wasn't meant maliciously, I just wasn't thinking. The truth is, my dad is always springing thangs up on me and I guess you can say that it caught me off guard. That's all that was", He shifted his stance as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Obviously the two of you are old enough to do whatever you please, and I respect that"

Michonne eyed him for a few moments after he finished speaking, deciding if she found his explanation genuine or not, but either way she would accept it, since she didn't exactly want there to be any tension with anyone in Richards family, "Well I appreciate that"

He appeared relieved, slowly nodding his head as he exhaled, "Alright then...Well you should probably get over there if you want some cake or else Carl will eat it all"

Michonne turned back to see the others at the picnic table, not ready to share jokes with the man just yet, "Got it."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

"...And you know he had the nerve to yell at me in front of everyone? The whole restaurant turned around and looked at me! I was _so_ mad!"

Rick bit his lips together as he chuckled silently as he walked towards his truck, "I bet you yelled right back-"

"You know I did", Sasha huffed, shaking her head in annoyance, "I made him drop me home and then I deleted his number. Asshole"

He sighed at his friend, "That's the best way to deal with it"

He unlocked his vehicle and they both got in, done with a long day at work. Rick was exhausted and looking forward to heading straight home, but not after dropping Sasha home first. He didn't initially mind carpooling her to and from work when she told him her car broke down, but having seen that her car was back in her driveway, he began to suspect that he was effectively her chauffeur.

"You have the kids this weekend?"

"Nah", Rick answered regretfully, "Lori's taking them up to her parents for the weekend so she can relax for her birthday"

"Hey! Speaking of parents, I heard your dad's caught himself a _young_ fish?", Sasha teased, tilting her head to see his face, "Tell me about her?"

"No.", Rick replied bluntly as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"Have you met her? Is she nice?"

"I'm sure that I just said no?", He shot her the briefest side eye as he tried to avoid the topic of his father and his girlfriend.

"You need to take a page out of your father's book and get out there- oh, your aunt Riley told me she was setting you up with-"

"She's not setting me up with anyone and when did she tell you that?"

"I saw her in the store", Sasha shrugged, "How else did you think I found out about your dad?"

Rick groaned as he stared out the windshield, "I should rename her the 'town newspaper'-"

"Well at least she's telling me something. You just clam up all the time-"

"Why would I want to talk about one of my father's many relationships?"

Sasha gave him a dubious look, "Hey, you never know, this one might be your stepmom-"

Rick groaned even louder than last time, "Please don't? Just… don't…"

His friend snickered evilly at him, "Nothing's funnier to me than seeing you get all wound up. Mr-straight-and-narrow Rick is now Mr-stick-up-his-ass Rick"

He peered over at her again, retorting dryly, "Very funny."

"I know", Sasha quipped happily, "So Lori's birthday? What's happening with that? Riley said dinner tomorrow night?"

"Yeah. Nothing fancy, just that Chinese restaurant in town", Rick replied tiredly as he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, "Need to get her somethan' from the kids"

"Aw. I hope if I ever get married and divorced that I can co-parent like you and Lori do"

He scoffed, "You know, you're not the first person to say that to me but we still argue, it just doesn't get as bad as it used to"

"You can still be in the same room as each other without hurling plates and cups", Sasha pointed out as she retrieved a bottle of water from her bag, "It's a good thing"

"It is, and I'm glad thangs aren't like they were before. It's better for the kids and… well, everyone else"

"Have you met Brian? What's he like?", She queried before taking a sip from her bottle, leading Rick to glance at her for a third time, wondering how she knew about his ex-wife's new boyfriend. She stilled, "Riley"

"Of course it was Riley", He breathed, shaking his head as he thought of his aunt, "Well, Brian seems alright. Comes on a little strong… I don't know, there's somethan' a little… _different_ about him, but he seems nice enough. The kids are getting on with him"

" _Different_? Different how?", Sasha narrowed her eyes at him as she closed the lid on her bottle.

"Like…", Rick squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, "I don't wanna' sound like a moron but I get the impression that he might not really like Lori… or women, at all"

Her eyes bulged, "He's gay?"

"I'm not sure but I get the impression that he could possibly like other men"

"Oh Rick, I hope you're not just going off his behaviour", Sasha reprimanded firmly, "It's easy to assume that just because someone might not talk or act the way that society tells us, doesn't mean-"

"I've caught him checking out other men. Twice", Rick confessed dryly, "Leering at other men, I should say"

"Oh", Sasha choked out, shifting uncomfortably in her seat too, "Well, that's different then, isn't it? Have you mentioned it to Lori?"

"Nah", He shook his head, "I don't want to say anythan' and make thangs awkward if I'm wrong. And what if he doesn't even think he is? I've heard of that happening you know"

Sasha stared at the side of his head for a short time, her lips pressed into a hard line, "I could write a book about your family"

Rick snorted, "It would be the longest, most dramatic story in history"

Sasha cackled wickedly beside him, forcing him to chuckle also, as the woman's laugh was quite contagious. He had known her for several years, and the two of them hit it off initially, both finding each other amusing for polar opposite reasons. He dropped her off at her home, and he didn't miss an opportunity to draw attention to her car sat in her driveway, but Sasha responded the way she often did when she didn't want to talk about something; she ignored him and walked away.

Rick made his way home and prepared for a child weekend, which wasn't something that happened often. Even though he and Lori shared custody of Carl and Judith, they would still spend quite some time together as a family, regardless of whose week it was with the children. Rick could hold his hands up and admit that it was one of the best things to happen since the divorce, as he was initially worried that his time spent with his children would be affected, but they were able to work something out that benefited all of them.

The next day he left his home early to go into town to purchase and gift for Lori from Carl and Judith, as well as run a few other errands. His 'go-to' gift was always perfume, as he knew his ex-wife loved to drench herself in floral fragrances, so he grabbed her a bottle of the first thing he saw, then headed to the florist to get her flowers.

"Lori's birthday?", Joanne sniggered as he approached the counter, "Daisy's with a pink ribbon around 'em?"

"I should really just pre-order them for the next ten years", Rick huffed, resting his hands on the counter, "Or until Carl's old enough to do it himself"

The older blonde woman laughed, "But then I'd miss our little meetings? I enjoy watching you run in here at the last minute"

Rick smirked as he shook his head, "I feel as though everyone loves to see me flustered"

"You're too straight and narrow"

He immediately frowned at her, "Have you been talking to Sasha?"

"No, that's just what we call you when you leave the room", Joanne informed as she began to walk around the counter, "I think I first heard it from one of the Dixon brothers, actually…"

Rick narrowed his eyes at the woman as he watched her make her way through the shop, about to quiz her further when the little bell above the front entrance chimed, signalling a new customer. He peered in the doors direction curiously, about to look back at Joanne when he did a double take, almost snapping his neck in the process.

"Oh… hey", Michonne greeted, in a manner that Rick could only describe as shamefully, and after looking her from head to toe, he could see why.

She had on a straw hat, with a white tank top and a pair of tiny denim shorts that were hidden by a red flannel shirt tied around her waist, topped off with a pair of tan cowboy boots. Rick tried not to gawk, but his eyes were drawn to her lean legs as he tried to figure out where they ended, 'Uh. Hey."

She shifted from foot to foot, appearing uncharacteristically nervous, "This isn't my usual attire..."

"I didn't think it was?", He forced his gaze to stay on her face.

She took the tiniest steps forward, "I went dancing- your dad, took me dancing last night. Over at the-"

"Oh, yeah, I know where", He cleared his throat, "Yeah. Well that's great. Looks like you had fun"

Michonne appeared to bare her teeth at him as she took her time to respond, "...It was fun. I mean the music was terrible, but there are a lot of nice people around here and they sure know how to have a good time so yeah, it was great."

"Yeah…", He nodded, his gaze darting around the space beside her, "They do. They like to dance and… drink…"

"So… flower shopping?", She held her little tan purse in front of her, hiding any indication that she was wearing anything at all under the shirt, "Pretty early in the morning?"

"Yeah. It's Lori's birthday so… just gonna' get her somethan' from the kids"

"Oh that's- tell her I said happy birthday? That's great. She actually told me that we were the same age. I'm a month older, though"

"Yeah. You definitely are the same age", Rick repeated with a little too much enthusiasm, leading Michonne to purse her lips at him as she raised a single brow. He cleared his throat for a second time, "So, what brings you by?"

"Well, a friend of mine gave birth last night and I wanted to get her something before I went up there", She explained, and it was Rick's turn to look at her strangely, so she tutted, "After I change, _obviously_. I only stopped by in here because your dad said I could mention his name and get a great deal"

Rick fought the urge to roll his eyes, "Ah… well that's great, too. Nice of you"

"It's just flowers", She retorted dryly, "It's nothing compared to giving birth to a life"

He blinked at her, not entirely sure how to reply to her remark, "Well, yeah? In the grand scheme of thangs?"

Something about the way she studied him, let Rick further know that she still disliked him, even after their last encounter. He did his best to be mindful of the things he said in her presence at the lake, even going as far as apologising for his behaviour when they initially met, but Michonne still appeared to be the type of person who didn't forgive easily.

"Here you go, Rick", Joanne held out a fresh bouquet for him, wrapped in a silky pink bow. The older woman looked at Michonne and raised a finger to her as she quickly spoke, "I'll be with you in just a moment, honey"

"That's fine, take your time", Michonne insisted politely, before muttering under her breath, "He's a difficult customer"

Rick heard her, and he was sure she wanted him to, but still he smiled at Joanne as he handed over his silver credit card that he retrieved from his wallet, "Thanks"

In spite of what Michonne thought, the exchange was quick and Rick took his purchases as he stepped around her, unsure of how to say goodbye, and if he even wanted to.

"So… how are Carl and Judith doing?", Michonne asked after Joanne raised a finger to her for a second time as she answered the phone behind the counter.

"Great. They're doing great… With their other grandparents this weekend...", Rick replied faintly, his eyes zeroing in on the hat she wore, "Is that… did my dad give you that hat?"

"He did", She nodded, glancing up towards the brim, "He said I couldn't dance to country music without one. I thought the boots were enough"

"Ah, yeah well that's… that's my hat", Rick could already see the tiny bite mark missing from it, courtesy of an infant Carl, "I can see where my son has attacked it over the years"

Michonne's eyes widened as she all but ripped it from her head, "Oh, really? I'm sorry, here you go"

"Nah, keep it", He shook his head as he frowned, "I haven't worn it in God knows how long but even still, I don't think it suited me as well as it does you"

Michonne's delayed response told Rick that his compliment was unexpected, which was something he could understand, seeing as he didn't think better of his comment before it left his lips. She ran her hands through her dreads, repositioning them to fall over her shoulder as she finally replied, "Well, thank you… and thank you for the hat…I'll remember that the next time I wear it..."

For reasons unbeknownst to Rick, all the blood in his body decided to seek refuge in his neck and face, making him feel as if someone had lit a match under his chin. He began to back away from her I'm hopes of finding some fresh air, "So uh, yeah, well I'll see you around?"

"Yeah, maybe… Bye", She gave him a pathetic attempt at a wave before spinning on her heel to face the counter again, and Rick did the same to leave the store.

It would have been wise for Rick to try and figure out why his interaction with Michonne left him feeling a little uneasy, but as he was actively trying his best to not focus on the fact that she had most likely slept of at his father's house for the night, he refused to think about her entirely, and continued on with his day like nothing happened.

He dropped Lori's gifts at her home and spent a little time helping to get Carl and Judith ready to spend the night with their other grandparents before seeing them off. Rick would have loved to tag along for the journey, but he couldn't stand Lori's parents, and they couldn't stand him, so it was only right that he kept his distance, especially as they didn't get to babysit the children often.

He spent the remainder of his afternoon trying to complete Judith's newly decorated room at his home, applying new wallpaper and hand painting her furniture white, which proved to be a time consuming job, as by the time he was done, the sun was setting and he was running late to attend Lori's birthday dinner.

It was only natural that he attend as they shared the same circle of friends, and it gave him an excuse to have a beer and relax with good company. He had a quick shower and threw on his denim shirt and stonewash jeans, giving himself the once over before leaving his apartment, ready to apologise profusely for getting so caught up in his task.

"You're late", Lori pointed out flatly as she greeted him by the door.

"I know and I'm sorry. I was working on Judith's room", He explained as he followed her through the dimly lit establishment, "I told you about that"

"Yeah well, listen, that's all good and well, and I'm sure she'll love it, but right now, I'm about to lose it with your father", Lori hissed over her shoulder as she stomped her feet.

Rick frowned at the back of her head, "My father? He's here? You didn't tell me you invited him-"

"I bumped into him yesterday and told him to stop by if he's in the area, and he did but he's not alone!", She flipped her hair over her shoulder and plastered a fake smile on her face as they reached the table, announcing to everyone seated, "Look who's here!"

Rick's perked up, forcing a smile on his face as he recognised the familiar faces of his friends, and he was about to say hello when he noticed his father at the other end of the table, laughing heartily before taking a swig of his brown beverage, and Rick's smile immediately vanished, replaced with a questioning frown.

Not because his father was drinking and enjoying himself, but because he had a few of his older friends huddled around, squeezed in at the end of the table, and because he had has arm draped around a ginger haired women, who leaned in close to whisper something in his ear, causing his father to roar with laughter once again.

Rick's eyes darted back to Lori, "Who the hell is that?"

"His _girlfriend_ , apparently", Lori breathed deeply as she watched the man scornfully for a second, "I love your father, but you need to get him the hell out of here, Rick. They're drunk, they're loud, and they're being obnoxious, not to mention he's damn near making out with that woman, so do something about that before I do"

He looked back towards the men, who were still howling at whatever antidote his father provided, leading the red-haired woman to grab hold of his chin and brand his cheek with another pink print from her lipstick. Rick took a moment to move as he was absolutely astonished at his father's brazen attitude. He was very aware that his father had been with Michonne just the night before, and he had even gifted her with his hat, so to hear that the woman that was tucked under his arm was a girlfriend, left Rick feeling mortified with the Grimes patriarch, and it was officially the last straw.

"Hey hey! Sharon, look!", his father bellowed, raising his glass towards Rick, "That there is my boy, my youngest. Richard Jr, don't he look like me?"

"Oh he looks just like you!", Sharon gasped, slapping her hand towards her chest, "It's such a pleasure to meet you, Rick. Richard had told me so much about you!"

"He's a good boy this one, raised right. I'm proud of him, he and his ex-wife get on like a house on fire"

Sharon pouted at Rick, "That is absolutely beautiful. So good for this children"

Rick's light brows were sat in a straight line on his forehead as he glared at his father, who tilted his head at him with confusion, "Hey? What's wrong, son? You alright? Need a drink?"

Rick slowly inhaled as he set his hands at his sides, "I need a word with you, outside. Now".


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

"What on earth has gotten into you? Huh? You walk in there with a face like slapped ass and you call me out- what's the problem, son? Because I'm not following!"

Rick ran his hand down his face as he stood opposite his father in the parking lot, unable to control himself any further, "Help me understand what's going through your mind right now, because I'm the one that's lost"

"The hell are you talking about?", His father squinted his identical blue eyes at him, tilting his head as if it would help him see better.

"You took Michonne out last night? She stayed with you, right?"

His father's head jerked back, his face falling blank, "How the hell you hear about that?"

"I saw her. She told me. She had my hat on", Rick rested his hands on his sides as he eyed his father, "So who the hell is that in there? Less than twelve hours later?"

His father groaned as he leaned back, "Look, Sharon is my girlfriend-"

"Since when?"

"...It's happened recently-"

"And what's Michonne? Where does she fit into thangs?", Rick narrowed his angry eyes at the man, "Because I don't see how that works?"

"Michonne is a special girl! I can't say a bad thang about her; she's fun, she's sweet and I hope to remain friendly with her but- I don't know. God, I hate to say it buy last night I felt like I was out with my daughter or somethan'...", His father released a dry chuckle, "She was running around, dancing- I need someone who's moving at the same pace as me-"

"Ain't that what you wanted?", Rick challenged, "You seem to think you're younger than me on most days-"

"I wanted to have fun and a young woman wanted to spend some time with me! God dammit, is that so hard to understand? Does it make me a bad person for having some new company around? No one had to remind me about the differences between her and me because I already knew! I knew there was a chance that she and I wouldn't become anythan' serious but that doesn't mean I can't get to know her-"

"Does she know that? Does anyone else besides you, know what the hell you're doing?"

"Oh, stop it! She wasn't looking into this anymore than I was! The only person who's seeing it for more than it was is you!"

Rick raked his fingers through his hair, "That's beside the point! You can't be out with her one night then have a girlfriend the next- Does Sharon knows she stayed the night at your home?"

"No but I have no problem telling her because ain't nothing happened so don't go around insinuating thangs!" , His father's expression darkened, "It got late, she had drank a few and I let her stay over- She slept upstairs and I slept in the goddamn basement! What's so bad about that? Should I have let her drive back to Atlanta and maybe cause an accident? Why don't you tell me, Mr Man of the Law?"

"Then why doesn't Michonne know about her?! Why doesn't Sharon know about her? If it's all above board then why is everyone surprised to see you have a girlfriend?"

His father huffed as he shook his head, "You really need to calm down, you're ruining Lori's night"

Rick couldn't give his father a more incredulous look if he tried, "Take your friends and your girlfriend somewhere else. You're all drunk and you're being loud"

The older man immediately looked offended, "We aren't being loud"

"You are. You're being loud, you're drunk and it's unbearable to watch", Rick snapped, "Just go home or somethan'... I don't know, maybe figure out how to be a better person"

His father stood up straighter, puffing out his chest, "Why don't you figure out how to have fun? Huh? Why don't you find somethan' to do for yourself- You should take that goddamn stick out your ass so you can start to enjoy life, and stop sitting there watching it cruise by like you're the old man! Hell, it's like watching paint dry when it comes to you- Have you ever considered that that's why you haven't got a woman at home? Because you don't offer anythan' but judgement? Get off that pedestal of yours, then you can start worrying about your own love life and stop examining mine"

"I don't care about your love life", Rick almost spat, "But the problem with you is that you'll do some pretty inconsiderate thangs sometimes, like have a get together then leave the woman you're seeing to play with my kids for most of the afternoon while you and your friends drink yourself stupid, or you'll invite her up here and then bail on her so it's up to everyone else to look after your guest-"

"I apologised for that!", His father raised a finger to him in warning, "And it was Lori that suggested that she stayed with y'all by the lake, not me-"

"Because it was the least we can do after you ditched her! If you treated her with some kind of respect and decency-"

"Hey! I have been nothing but respectful of her! So you cut that out! You're making matters out to be a lot worse than they are and I won't stand for that", His father fixed his jacket as she began to turn around, "Now If you'll excuse me-"

"Take your friends and your girlfriend somewhere else", Rick repeated sternly, "You're not welcome in there"

His father froze, "Who the hell do you think you're talking to, boy?"

"I'm so glad my mother isn't around to see the kind of man you've become", Rick admitted bitterly, "She was worth ten of you-"

"You're damn right she was, and you better watch your mouth before I come over there", His father spat angrily, eyes glazing over, "That's the last I wanna' hear from you"

"Believe me. It will be", Rick marched past his father and towards the restaurant doors with balled fists, trying his best to contain his rage.

He didn't intend to lose his temper with his father, but he had been bottling up the way he felt towards the older man for so long that it all came spewing out via his mistreatment of Michonne. There was no doubt in his mind that he wanted his father to find something similar to what he had shared with Rick's mother, but it seemed as if his father had different ideas and Rick no longer wanted any part of it.

Lori watched him like a hawk when he approached the table once again, and before he could finally take a seat she hurriedly led him towards the back of the restaurant, where she proceeded to interrogate him, "I know I asked you to get rid of him but what the hell was all that about? I asked you to send him home, not attack him Rick-"

"I did not attack him", Rick frowned, resting his hands on his sides, "I asked him what he was doing with Sharon when I just saw Michonne earlier-"

"Yeah- we heard that", She ejected dryly, "You were both yelling at the top of your lungs, when all you had to say to him is-"

"I did tell him to leave. I just got caught up with the other stuff too", He confessed tiredly as he ran his hand over his face.

"There is a time and a place for these things, Rick"

"He was out dancing with Michonne last night, let her stay the night at his because she was a little drunk, then he all of a sudden has a girlfriend? But he hasn't even told either of them anythan'! He said that he felt as if Michonne was his daughter when he was out with her, but if that's the case then why not tell her about Sharon? It doesn't make any sense-"

"Oh my God", Lori declared with raised eyebrows, her head tilting to the side and her long brown waves falling forward, "You like her"

"What?", Rick narrowed his eyes at her, "What are you talking about?"

"You like Michonne", Lori said again, shaking her head while she looked at him incredulously, "It all makes sense now"

"What are you talking about Lori?", He repeated, his brows now knitting together at the top of his most bridge.

"What part of what I just said didn't make sense? You like her", His ex-wife pursed her lips as she rolled out the last word of her sentence.

For reasons Rick couldn't understand, He suddenly felt heat rising up his neck and to his cheeks, "She's a nice person and she got on great with the kids-"

"You know exactly what I mean. Yeah, she's a nice person and she did get on great with the kids but that's not the only reason you like her- how could I have missed it!", Lori chortled as she slapped her hand to her forehead, "It all makes perfect sense- you are so transparent sometimes"

"I like her _as a person_ ", He tried to clarify but his ex-wife had already turned around laughing, "And what you're saying is beside the point _and_ not even true!"

Lori left him to stew in his own juices. He couldn't believe what she had said, and he couldn't believe that her accusation made him feel so uncomfortable. Of course he had begun to like Michonne; she was indeed a nice person, his children had enjoyed her company and she had a great sense of humour when she wasn't scolding him. He would be lying to himself if he said he didn't find her attractive because she was attractive. She was impeccably groomed and took care of herself, and she wouldn't be the first woman that Rick found attractive without romantic feelings involved.

Even if he did indeed like her for being more than just a nice person, it had no bearing on the fact that he didn't like the way his father treated her. Or so he believed.

It was suffice to say that he and his father's relationship had been affected by their argument. Rick had no interest in seeing the older, and so he didn't. Days went by and he didn't care. The weeks turned to months and he still didn't care. Lori would make arrangements for Carl and Judith to see their questionable grandfather but Rick had no part in it. In the event that he would see his father in town, Rick behaved as if he simply hadn't seen him at all.

In the meantime Rick focused purely on anything else. He hated to admit it but he had taken his father's words to heart, and shortly after they had stopped talking Rick had begun doing what he could to improve the quality of his own life. He had always had to be the mature person, the one that kept everyone else in line and played it safe, because that role came naturally to him. He always suspected that he might be considered boring to some, but to hear it come from the man he used to look up to, left him feeling a little devastated. After all, his father was the person Rick had always tried to emulate, and now the older man was living life differently, Rick hated to think he was destined to follow the same path.

He set out to do everything differently, starting with his own parenting. Although he had never questioned what kind of father he was previously, but as he was desperate to have a better relationship with his own kids he began putting a little more effort in the time he spent with them. He filled their days with tasks tailored to fit their interests, hoping to create lasting memories.

When he wasn't at work or with his children, he would go running or to the gym, having discovered that exercise helped clear his mind, as well as keep him fit. He wanted to be in better shape in every sense of the word, and what better way than completing gruelling workouts.

It may have seemed like small changes to some, but they were momentous to Rick as he had never had a reason to put his needs or wants first. There was always somebody else to worry about, whether it was Lori, his mother, or his father. With neither of his parents no longer in the picture, and his marriage to Lori in the past, he was free for some self-care.

"Brian's out of town for a friend's bachelor party", Lori informed him as she took a seat in Rick's kitchen, opposite Sasha, who was flicking through a magazine while Rick prepared dinner. It was a Sunday evening, and she had brought Carl and Judith over for his week with the children, while Sasha just stopped by for the sake of it. Lori continued tiredly as she opened here bottle of water, "They're in Atlanta"

"Oh? That sounds like fun", Sasha chimed, reaching for her glass in front of her, "No strip clubs, I hope?"

Her eyes widened as she shook her head, the bottle hovering by her lips, "Oh no, Brian's completely against going places like that"

"I bet he is", Rick whispered to himself as he drained a lot of boiling pasta, before speaking up, "Sasha was just asking what to get Carl for his Birthday before you guys got here"

"Oh yeah, I was thinking about getting him one of those Nerf Guns?", Sasha suggested, "He hasn't got one already, has he? Or maybe like a little bow and arrow or something?"

Lori squirmed in her seat as she set her bottle back down, "That's sweet Sasha, but you know how I feel about guns- weapons of any kind, actually-"

"Daddy!", Judith called from the back door, "Carl ate a bug!"

Ricks cringed as he looked in his daughter's direction, "Tell Carl that I said he better spit it out"

"I'm just kidding, dad!", Carl called from somewhere in the backyard. Judith looked over her shoulder to see her brother, then at her father with the most concerned look he had ever seen on a child.

"Don't worry sweetie, he's just being silly. If he does it again then play the butt trumpet until he stops", Rick grinned, causing Judith to burst into a fit of giggles before she ran away.

" _The butt trumpet_?", Lori repeated dryly as she looked at him with scorn, "You're the reason that they say that now?"

"What? It's funny- you saw her laughing", He snickered, turning his attention to the homemade sauce on the stove.

Lori rolled her eyes as she waved a dismissive hand at him, as she spoke to Sasha again, "Yeah how about just an action figure or something? Or books?"

Sasha wrinkled her nose at the idea, "Okay, boring but fine"

Lori giggled at her, "Oh, I was meant to mention to you Rick that I ran into an old friend the other day. Well, She wasn't really an old friend…"

He peered at his ex-wife from over his shoulder, "Who?"

"Michonne", Lori all but sang her name, "I bet you remember her?"

Rick slowly turned back around to face the pot, even though he was still actively listening, "Go on"

"Well Brian's planning on redecorating his mother's home for her but since he doesn't have the time to help, he went online to look for local designers and he found Michonne…", Lori raised her eyebrows at Sasha, "She was there when I went by on Friday. She sends her love, by the way"

"That's great", Rick responded coolly, though his gaze darted one way or the other as he thought about the information Lori had just given him.

Michonne had crossed his mind here and there, but he hadn't seen her since they bumped into each other at the florist. He did wonder how things ended between her or his father, or if she had moved on and found someone more suitable.

"What happened with her and Richard?", Sasha enquired, inadvertently asking one of the questions that popped into Rick's mind, "I never even got to meet that one"

"He started seeing Sharon", Lori answered sourly, "And she said she tried to call him after she last saw him but never got an answer"

Sasha let out a little gasp, "No way!"

"Yes, but to be honest she didn't seem that bothered by it. I mean, I know it was ages ago but she just shrugged it off. She didn't have a bad word to say about him", Lori sighed as she sat back in her seat, "I told her she'll probably find herself someone better. She's beautiful, smart, funny- I'm sure someone out there wants to treat her right…Don't you agree, Rick?"

Rick rolled his eyes shut as he grew annoyed with his ex-wife's comments, but he still spoke casually, "Of course."

"That's the way it goes", Sasha huffed as she stood up from her seat, "Excuse me guys, I need the bathroom"

"Go on", Lori replied, watching the other woman leave before announcing to Rick, "...Well I invited her along to Carl's birthday. Told her she's welcome to come along since your father will be away with Sharon… she said she'd love to"

All the blood in Rick's body seemed to race to his head, causing his ears to throb. His ex-wife was no longer just teasing him, she had something else tucked away up her sleeve and Rick couldn't begin to guess what, but he refused to show her any kind of reaction. Instead, He simply turned off the stove and turned to face her with a tight smile as he leaned against, "Really? That's great".

"I know", Lori wore a gleeful smile back as she crossed one leg over the other, "I thought so, too".


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five:

"...So that's good news right? You can have kids- that's what you wanted! Now we just have to find you Mr Right, which won't be impossible because you're smart and gorgeous"

Michonne began to smile at the steady stream of compliments Andrea fed her, "Thank you, but it's not that easy and you know it's not"

Andrea groaned as she stopped in the middle of the aisle, "You know what should be easy? Finding a toy for a kid! Can you just pick something up? He probably likes dirt, so just get him something that allows him to dig up dirt-"

"I want to get him something thoughtful, Andrea", Michonne countered, "And a little something for Judith… She's so sweet-"

"What about their _piece of shit grandfather_? I hope you give him a piece of your mind if he does turn up", Andrea snapped, her manicured nails glistening in the light as she slapped a hand on her waist.

Michonne groaned as she rolled her eyes, "Andrea, I am not going to have an attitude with anyone, okay? Richard and I had a few dates and they were fun but obviously we just weren't on the same page- and that's okay. It happens-"

"He could have at least got back to you. He was like, ninety years old! Aren't old people supposed to have more manners than the rest of us?"

Michonne ignored her friend as she eyed an action figure on the shelf. She didn't want to talk about Richard, nor did she want to remember how he disappeared after their last date. The truth of the matter was that she was embarrassed, and feeling somewhat regretful for even giving the older man any of her time. She sighed to herself as she picked up the box, "This will do."

"Great, pick it up. Now just get something for the girl and we'll go", Andrea instructed as she began marching ahead in her heels, leaving Michonne to roll her eyes a second time. If ever she got the chance to become a mother, she would hope that her friend would soften up towards children, or at the very least pretend to soften up.

Her desire to be a parent was probably why she jumped at the chance to attend Carl's birthday party. She adored the little boy and his sister, and unfortunately she didn't get many opportunities to be around kids, so she was more than happy to receive the invite. Finding the perfect gifts for both children was crucial, and as much as Andrea tried to hurry her, she was going to take the task seriously.

"You think she'll like this?", She quizzed, her hand running along the side of a dollhouse box, "I don't know if she's into dolls?"

Andrea sighed dramatically from her seated position. She had made use of a children's dining set after knocking a teddy bear off the seat, "Get it. It's perfect."

"She's such a shy little thing…", Michonne continued as she looked for the price tag, "Carl said she gets it from her dad but I don't think that's the case. He was a jerk."

"Jealousy", Andrea replied with a snort as she eyed the doll in the seat beside her, "Hey, can you seriously hurry up? I think this doll just moved…"

"He did let me keep his hat", Michonne declared, her brows furrowing as she remembered her last encounter with the children's father, "I guess it was some kind of weird peace offering. I might give it back"

"I don't get why anyone would buy their kids this stuff", Andre narrowed her eyes as she looked at the toys sat around the table, "They're all creepy…"

It was Michonne's turn to groan dramatically as she listened to her friends running commentary, though her mind was partly wondering about her next encounter with Rick.

The corrections officer had left a bad taste in her mouth the first time they met, and she was still quite sceptical of him. While she could admit that he didn't come across as smug, but rather very genuine, she still felt as if he was judging her. She didn't expect him to be over the moon at the fact that his father was spending time with a woman that was even younger than himself, but she imagined that he would probably be pleased to hear his father cut off contact with her. Embarrassment struck her again as she thought about it.

When she was finally satisfied with the gifts she'd found, and she had successfully began to suppress any memory she had of Richard, she was able to elevate her friends mood by leaving the store with her new purchases.

Her week had been a relatively good one. All of her clients were happy and she was delighted to learn that all her fertility worries were wiped away after her last check up, so by the time the day of Carl's birthday came, she was in high spirits. She wore a new black blouse with bellowing sleeves, and her least favourite pair of fitted jeans because she knew there was a chance they wouldn't survive a kids party, and a pair black and gold flat sandals, as she knew it wouldn't have been wise of her to wear heels. The people of Kings County were all about the outdoors, and she was not.

The drive into the town was smooth sailing, although it was an early Sunday afternoon. She didn't want to arrive too early, thinking that it would be strange for a woman in her position, so she aimed to arrive at least 2 hours after everything had begun, that way everyone would be too interested in the occasion to notice her entrance.

The little boy's party was being held in a park on one of the most beautiful days. There wasn't a cloud in sight; just a crystal blue sky and gentle breeze that kissed her skin occasionally. She didn't think she could miss a place that she had only visited a handful of times, but she did. The town was a complete contrast to what she was used to and she always felt able to slip into pace with the other residents. It was the kind of place that she could easily picture herself settling in, raising a family and running her business from afar, but sadly none of that was something she could see that happening in the near future.

"You made it!", Lori cheered when she spotted Michonne from over a male's shoulder. She excused herself from her conversation and began making her way towards her.

Kids were running wild from one place to another, chasing the grinning birthday boy around the benches that were covered with drinks and treats. Streamers hung from the trees, a bounce house was set up nearby that was shaped like a pirate ship, and to Michonne's horror there was a clown performing for the younger children. She shuddered to herself before smiling at Lori, "Hey!"

"What is all this?", Lori frowned, eyeing the pile of boxes Michonne carried, "You did not-"

"I did", She insisted, tilting her head as she sniggered, "Where should I put them?"

"God", Lori sighed, "Brian! Can you come and take these please?!"

"How's it going so far? Stressful?", Michonne queried as she watch Carl run straight into the bounce house, "He's having a blast"

"Of course he is, he's eaten his weight in sugar", Lori scoffed, "I haven't even seen him properly, he's running around so much that he's just a blur"

Michonne chuckled at the woman's joke, "So he is having a blast"

"Hey there, Michonne", Brian greeted cheerfully as he sauntered over, holding a drink in his hand.

Michonne did her best to give the man a friendly smile in return, even though he most recent client did make her giggle. He was a flamboyant character who dressed impeccably well, and had an air about him, like he would be offended if someone asked if he worked. Knowing what she did about Lori, she and Brian didn't seem suited at all, but Michonne wasn't one to judge. She greeted him just how he greeted her as he took the presents from her arms, "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you. And yourself? You look stunning", Brian took a step back and looked her from head to toe, " _Very_ nice"

Michonne's smile tightened, "Thank you"

"I'll get you ladies a drink", Brian declared, sauntering off in the opposite direction.

Lori inspected the drink that she had taken from her partner so that he could help Michonne, and soon enough her face crumbled from displeasure, "I don't even know what this is? Come on, can I get you a lemonade or something?"

"Yeah, sure. Thanks", Michonne replied, trying to scope to the small crowd of parents discreetly. She felt hugely self-conscious, wondering if everyone knew about her and Richard. He had introduced her to plenty of people and she couldn't bear the thought of being recognised, "So… what's been going on down here?"

"Nothing", Lori responded flatly as they strolled across the grass, "Well, people here are getting ready for the county fair but it's the same thing every year; you take the kids on a few rides, we watch the cake show and one of the animals get loose. Last year it was a pig."

Michonne chortled quietly as she thought about it, "Sounds like fun"

"It can be. The kids love it.", Lori admitted with a little shrug, her attention falling on the younger children who were being entertained by the clown, "Oh- where's Judith?"

Michonne's gaze skimmed across the children, sure she had seen the little girl sat there only moments before, "She was just there"

Lori's dark brows formed a straight line as she began looking around them, "Where on earth- Oh! _You_ have her"

"She came and got me from the grill…", Michonne didn't immediately turn around when she heard Rick's voice but she knew that she had to, in order to be polite. Rick held his daughter in his arms as he approached them, his focus only on Judith. She wore a green and white dress with her hair pulled back with a white headband. She couldn't look any sweeter, but her expression told a different story. Rick adjusted the strap of her dress on her shoulder as he spoke, "I don't think she likes the clown…"

"Oh no, ain't that a shame", Lori shook her head as she ran a hand down her daughter's back.

Michonne couldn't recall what she was doing when Rick finally looked at her, but all of a sudden she felt the need to stand up a little straighter. He gave her a small nod, "Nice of you to come."

"No problem", She tried to reply coolly, although she was sure she failed.

"I'm going to take her over to the bounce house", Lori began peeling the little girl away from him, "So can you get Michonne a drink, please?"

Rick gave his wife a strange look, one that Michonne couldn't understand, but he weakly agreed, "Yeah. Sure."

" _Thank you_ ", His ex-wife replied in a sing song tone as she bounced her daughter playfully on her hip.

There were more than a dozen adults there and possibly even more kids, but for reasons unbeknownst to Michonne she felt as if there suddenly wasn't enough people there. She hadn't liked being left alone with Rick in the past and she still didn't, Their conversations had always been awkward and she never knew what to expect from him, so she decided the best thing would be for her to remain quiet.

"You get up here alright?", He asked, squinting in her direction as the sun's beams lit up his face.

"Fine. No problem at all", She glanced in his direction but kept her gaze on just about anything else.

"Good.", He nodded, beginning to fuss with the rolled up sleeve of his denim shirt, "It's usually quiet on a Sunday… not much traffic or anythan'..."

"...I noticed…"

A silent moment passed between them as they began to walk towards a bench which was edge to edge with beverages. Rick cleared his throat, "So Lori told me that you're working with Brian on somethan'?"

"Yeah, that's true. His mother's house…", She crossed her arms over her chest, "It's going well"

He nodded a second time as he looked ahead of them, giving Michonne the chance to steal a good look at him. She couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was that was different about him, but she could see that something about him had changed. Before she could work out what it was he looked back at her as he spoke, causing her quickly drop her gaze to the grass. He questioned her again, "I've met his mother. She's a kind woman."

"Yeah, she definitely is…", She agreed, refusing to look at him again, "So how's work at the uh, prison?"

"The same. Mostly quiet…", He responded dryly, before adding, "Which is a good thang, given the circumstances"

"I guess that's true."

She was expecting him to get busy with the drinks when they finally reached the bench, but instead he sighed and began rubbing the back of his neck harshly, "I feel like I have to say somethan' about¬"

"Don't.", She ejected quickly, "I know. It's fine, so don't."

He stilled, his eyes boring into hers. It came as no surprise to her that he'd speak want to speak about his father, but she was done with the subject. He relented, "Alright."

"Thanks", She huffed, looking at the bottles in front of her, "So anything for adults?"

"Um yeah, but I should warn you that Brian was in charge of the drinks and I really don't know what any of these thangs are… I was hoping he'd just get a couple of beers but obviously I was wrong...", Rick explained sourly as he picked up an exceptionally long glass bottle, his lip curling in disgust as he read the label, "I think you're meant to mix this with somethan' else?"

Michonne sucked air between her teeth as she reached for another bottle, "Yeah, you are. You mix these two together"

He looked at the other beverage, then the one he held, and he gave a defeated shrug, "Right… I'm sorry I'm not much of a drinks connoisseur… It's all a little too fancy for me"

A smile broke free on her face, "A little too fancy?"

Much to her amazement, his neck and cheeks grew crimson as he put the bottle down, "Well, yeah…"

Michonne couldn't remember the last time she saw something so endearing. The hard corrections officer was blushing about his simplicity. She almost snickered, "I think everyone can appreciate a good beer or two, but there's nothing wrong with trying something new… Even if it is a little fancy. You might like it."

He rubbed his hand over his beard, "Yeah. Maybe. I don't know I'm just… Just not good with¬"

"Grab a cup", She instructed, beginning to crack open the bottle. He looked at her curiously for a second or two before doing as he was told. He held the cup steady while she poured a little of the spirit inside. When she was comfortable with the amount she grabbed another bottle and checked the label before pouring that in, too. She popped in a few cubes of ice from a nearby bucket, then stirred it with a straw, "Go on, take a sip"

Rick began to shake his head, "I don't want to waste it¬"

"Sip. _Now_.", She titled her head towards the cup, "Go on."

In spite of the face that she was the one that encouraged him to drink, she felt a little perverted watching his lips curve around the cup, however she didn't look away. His light brows furrowed furiously at first, before springing to life in either surprise or horror. He lowered the cup as his tongue ran along his bottom lip, "It's… It's not terrible"

She placed a hand on her hip as she cocked her head to the side. She sat the tiniest hint of a smirk on his face.

"I mean it, it's not terrible ", He held the drink out to her, "It's quite alright actually"

Michonne took the cup from him, trying to avoid touching his hand but she failed. She didn't know what her problem was; she had encountered him before and back then she couldn't wait to get away from him, but in that moment she felt so nervous and awkward that she was sure she looked a fool in front of him.

"Dad! Did you see what the clown just did?!", Carl came barrelling over to his father, pointing excitedly towards the entertainer, "Come see!"

"Alright, hold on though, look who's here", Rick placed a hand on his son's shoulder to slow him down, "Tell her, thank you for coming"

"Thank you for coming", Carl repeated robotically before reaching for her hand, "Come on! You have to come see!"

"Oh, uh…", She looked in Rick's direction, even though she let the little boy take her hand, "I thought you wanted¬"

"He found someone better", Rick gave her a playful parting wave, "Have fun"

Carl tugged her over to a space where the other children were sat in front of the Clown, all watching with amazement while the man argued with a sock puppet. She was forced to sit down too, and regretting the decision to wear such a tight pair of jeans. Luckily there was a blanket, so she perched on the edge beside Carl, and did her best to appear animated throughout the performer's routine.

"Did you see that?!", Carl exclaimed excitedly when the man made a Ferris wheel out of balloons, "I want one!"

"You should get one since you're the birthday boy", Michonne agreed as she adjusted the strap on her sandals, not noticing that there was someone stood nearby until she looked up, "Hey there, Judith"

The girl was stood with her hands in front of her, fidgeting with her dress as she looked at the Clown with great uncertainty.

Michonne remembered what her father had said earlier, and she couldn't stand clowns herself, so she called the girl over, "Come on, you can sit with us"

Judith looked at her with a little less uncertainty, and it took so long for her to finally budge that Michonne didn't think the girl would move. She did a little sprint over, and instead of trying to squeeze into the tiny space between Michonne and Carl, she plopped herself down on Michonne's lap. Michonne was sure her heart would implode. Though she didn't say anything at all, she did begin to smile at times, if even for a second or two.

"Alright kids! Time to get some food in those stomachs!", A dark-skinned woman called as she approached the children, clapping her hands together, "Why don't we give Mr Snuggles a round of applause?"

Michonne felt her heart grow when she saw Judith join in with the others to clap, "So you liked it? It wasn't that bad, huh?"

Judith set her big brown eyes on her as she nodded, "It was okay…"

Michonne beamed at her, "Why don't we go get you something to eat?"

"Okay…"

There was a table set up nearby with an array of children-sized snacks for them to tuck into, and soon enough all the kids swarmed, rushing to get a good seat next to the birthday boy. Michonne found herself blessed once again as Judith held her hand as they joined the others.

"She's a darling, isn't she?", Brian commented, standing beside Michonne when she was free to leave Judith to eat, "Carl's a great kid, too."

"You're right about that", She agreed, sighing with content as the children picked at the food like vultures.

"Before Lori came along I was sure that I hated kids", Brian divulged in a pathetic attempt to whisper, "But those two changed my mind"

Michonne raised an eyebrow as she looked at him from the corner of her eye, "...And now you love kids?"

Brian scoffed at her, "God no, I just like those two. The rest are all demons"

Her mouth fell agape as she watched the man swan off once again, truly beginning to wonder how he and Lori found themselves in a relationship.

"I don' like this one", Judith declared, holding up a triangular shaped sandwich. Michonne wasn't sure who she was talking to, and it looked as if she were just making an announcement, but soon enough Rick appeared behind her and took the offending food away.

"...She hates cheese like this…", He explained, setting the sandwich down on another plate, "But she'll gladly eat pizza"

Michonne giggled at the fact, " _Clearly_ , there's a difference."

"Yeah. _Clearly_ ", He agreed, standing beside her as they looked out over the table.

Being around him a second time wasn't as nerve wrecking. Maybe it was because she had downed her drink during the clown's performance, she wasn't sure, but the atmosphere was much more relaxed when neither of them were speaking.

"...I found a beer", He declared, motioning towards the brown bottle that he held, "Morgan… He was hiding some in his trunk… I can get you one?"

"Oh no, it's fine", She declined politely, "It doesn't take that much to make me see double,"

He snickered at her joke, "Lori's the same, actually"

Michonne eyed the beer bottle, questioning how many he'd had, "I can't see it as a bad thing. Makes for a cheap date"

"Really?...", His bright blue eyes stayed downward for some time, as if he was thinking about something completely off topic, and Michonne found out soon enough why, "...Well, how about we test that out?"

She blinked at him, "Huh?"

"...I mean we- we test that theory… By going out… On a.. On a date", Fear was written all over his face as he elaborated on his previous remark, "If you'd want that?"

It was because he had taken so long to repeat himself that he had her full attention, and even though she heard his request loud and clear, she was still dumbfounded by it at first, but that was quickly replaced with anger and confusion. She almost spat the words from her mouth as she hissed through gritted teeth, "Are you kidding me?"

Rick was as white as a sheet in a matter of seconds and he began to splutter, "Uh.. wait- no, I just meant¬"

"I know exactly what you meant!", She raised her finger to poke him but was struck with a reminder that they were at his son's birthday party, so dropped her hand at her side and spun around. She wanted to react wildly but couldn't, so settled for stomping away instead.

Getting to her car was her main objective and giving Andrea a call was the second, but she hadn't counted on having Rick follow her out to the parking lot. "Michonne, wait! Look, I'm sorry I didn't ask you that to piss you off-"

"Then why?", She threw her hands up in the air to signal her exasperation as she slowed down, "Why would you possibly think that it's okay to ask me out on a date?"

Rick came to a stop, holding his own hands up in surrender, "I… I thought that I could- I wanted to so… I just did"

She gave him the most incredulous look that she could, "Why?!"

"...Because I…", He hesitated, his hands falling to his sides, "I… I think that I like you."

Michonne's expression was frozen in place.

"I said 'I think' because… I didn't know- I'm no good with these thangs, either", His shoulders slumped in defeat, "Look, I'll admit that I didn't like how I met you and… I was mad about the way my dad treated you because I don't think anyone deserves that but… I didn't realise that it could be because I… I actually liked you…"

Her brain was finally able to process what was happening, "...Did you even take a minute to think about how much of a bad idea this is?"

He blew out an unsteady breath, "I took more than just a minute… Weeks, I think? I thought about it over and over and before Lori told me that you'd be here today, I just thought I'd never see you again and whatever I was feeling would just disappear but when I learned that wouldn't be the case… I just had to accept it. I was going to you see you again and I needed to figure out what that meant, so I decided that I'd say somethan'... I didn't know how or what- just somethan'..."

Michonne narrowed her eyes at him, "So you thought you'd ask me out on a date?"

"...I thought it would be a good start?", He looked so overtaxed that she almost felt sorry for him, "I… I've only ever dated one woman, Michonne, and that was a long time ago so I'm… I'm rusty, I thought that's what you do when you like someone- You take them out and you get to know them, that's how you start thangs off-"

"You're rambling", She ejected dryly.

"Yeah, because I'm sweating _bricks_ over here", Rick ran both hands over his face, "I thought the worst that could happen was you'd say 'No'. Not get upset and storm off."

Michonne had to calm down. She was so tense that her neck was beginning to hurt. She unclenched her fists and started to look around the parking lot, as if she could find a solution somewhere nearby.

"...My kids really like you… You get on well with my ex-wife… I have a feeling that you're probably way smarter than me and you're jokes aren't like the ones that I'm used to hearing. I've seen you sit around with my family and… you were going out of your way to do thangs for someone that really wasn't even worth the hassle ", His tone became a little bitter towards the end of his speech.

"And you are?", She countered, chuckling deliriously.

"I'd want you to decide that", He replied diplomatically, "If you'd want to find out."

Her brain was frazzled again. She raked her fingers through her hair as she looked everywhere else but at him, "I can't believe this."

"...I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to make you mad or confuse you."

Michonne found herself focusing one sole pebble on the ground between them. It was darker than the rest around it, but it had a shiny surface, which was what caught her eye in the first place. She wouldn't consider herself a spiritual person but for some reason or the other, she felt as if it was symbolic for something. It must have been, as she couldn't think of another reason as to why she'd notice it at all. She had reached a strange stage in her life where she knew what she wanted but doubted she'd be lucky enough to have those achievements, yet here she was, presented with a chance to start something new with the most unlikely of people. She let her arms fall by her side as she exhaled tiredly, "...I can't give you an answer right now. I'm sorry".


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six:

"Daddy, I'm stuck…"

Rick peered down at Judith's foot and saw that she'd somehow managed to get her foot stuck in her seatbelt. He started detangling her, "How did you do that?"

"...I don't know…", Judith muttered back.

Rick pulled her free, then lifted her out the car seat and onto the pavement, "You're like a little magician"

"I don' wanna' be a magician…", Judith looked up at him with her big brown eyes, "...I wanna' be a fish that wears fancy blue hats…"

Rick stared at his daughter for at least ten seconds before he repeated her words, "You wanna' be a fish that wears fancy blue hats?"

Judith nodded and her curls bounced, "Yeah"

Rick couldn't remember a time that he was so confused, and to make matters worse his daughter wasn't giving him any indication that she was joking, her expression was deathly serious. He closed the car door then crouched down in front of her, "Can I ask why you wanna' be a fish that wears a fancy blue hat?"

Judith's gaze started to wander as she said, "...I think I like them…"

"...You've _seen_ a fish that wears a fancy blue hat before? Is it a cartoon or somethan'?"

Judith looked back at him and shook her head.

Rick really struggled to see where their conversation was going, so he just nodded as he stood back up, "Okay, sweetie. That's fine. Let's get you inside."

Carl had already bolted his way up to his mother's home, where Lori was waiting for them at the front door. She gave Judith a large smile as Rick walked her towards them, "Hey, my little honeypot"

"Hi mommy", Judith chirped back as she took her time climbing the steps.

"Is everything alright?", Lori asked as she eyed her daughter, "Was she stuck?"

"Yeah, she got her foot stuck in the seatbelt", Rick explained as he followed behind her, "Then she told me she wanted to be a fish that wore fancy blue hats, so I had to ask her what that meant"

Lori looked just as confused as he felt, "A fish?"

"She's talking about when we were fishing with Michonne", Carl spoke in a tone that suggested it was the obvious reason, "We said that the fish weren't biting because they were out buying hats"

"Oh…", Rick and Lori both said at the same time.

"...I need a fancy blue hat", Judith declared seriously as she looked up at her mother.

"I guess you do", Lori smirked and ran her hand over the little girl's hair, then looked at Rick, "Do you want to stay for dinner? I made plenty and it turns out that Brian's not going to be home for a while"

"I can stay a little while, but don't worry about dinner.", Rick placed his hands on his son's shoulders as they all filtered into her home, "Brian at work?"

"No, he's over at his mother's house helping with the decorating. Apparently, he and Michonne are going head to head with his mother over her choices…"

"Got it.", Rick began to wonder if Michonne was in town but he was quickly distracted by the way his children immediately dropped their bags in the hallway and ran over to the television. He sighed, "I thought the two of you would have had enough of that already"

Carl snorted in return as he began flicking through the channels, "Yeah, right"

Lori gave him a similar response, "I honestly don't know why you'd think that. That's where they live."

"Obviously", Rick rolled his eyes as he followed his ex-wife to the kitchen, "By the way, Carl was talking to me about playing soccer on the weekends"

"Really? Well, we'll have to look into that then. I was wondering when would be a good time to get him involved in that stuff", Lori glanced back at him as she made her way to the coffee maker, "You want a cup?"

"I'm fine, thanks", He leaned on the door frame and looked around the room as he spoke, "I'm sure I can talk to his gym teacher at school… He must know something"

Lori turned back to face him with a huff as she stood by the counter, "I actually have something to tell you"

Rick's eyes slowly slid over to her, "What is it?"

"...Brian proposed."

He blinked at her, "...Brian proposed?"

She nodded, "Yeah."

Rick stared at her for a moment, "...To you?"

His ex-wife frowned, "Yes, Rick. To _me_."

He shifted his stance awkwardly, "Congratulations"

Lori narrowed her eyes at him, "What are you thinking?"

"I'm just… Shocked at the way you said it", Rick couldn't bring himself to tell his ex-wife that he thought her boyfriend was attracted to men, and he hoped he never had to, "But seriously, I'm happy for you."

His words didn't seem to bring her any comfort, and he still knew her well enough to know that she wasn't being sincere when she said, "Thanks. I appreciate that."

It was his turn to look at her skeptically, "...What are you thinking?"

"...I guess I'm just having a little doubt", She sighed deeply, "I mean, I love him and I care about him and he's such a great guy, but… something feels off"

Rick asked innocently, "...What makes you think that?"

"Just… Sometimes it doesn't feel like we have a relationship and a friendship. It feels like we only have a friendship…", Lori tucked her bangs behind her ear, "I don't know how to explain it…"

"Sounds like you should talk to him about that. Let him know how you feel before you take this big step", Rick was so pleased to know that she wasn't completely oblivious to her boyfriend's behavior, "If it doesn't feel right then maybe it's not"

Lori crossed her arms over her chest, "Yeah. I want to but I just haven't figured out how"

"Tell him the exact same thang you just told me", He suggested, "I think that was pretty clear"

She nodded her head as her dark brown eyes searched his face for reassurance, "Yeah. You're right."

"It'll be alright. I'm sure Brian will understand what you mean."

She flashed him a small smile, "It's nice when you pretend to care."

"I do care", He said flatly, "I just don't feel it's my place to involve myself in your business the way you do mine"

"I don't involve myself in your business, Rick. I just think you needed help realizing that-"

"Here she goes", He muttered to himself.

"You liked Michonne.", Lori shrugged at him innocently, "And I was right… And I actually thought it would be nice if you started dating again, but instead, you chased her off…"

"I didn't…", Rick's rebuttal was weak, "I wasn't _trying_ to."

"Well then give her a call or something", Lori made the suggestion sound simple, "She might appreciate that."

He cast his gaze away from her as he thought about it, "...Yeah. Maybe."

"...Thought I'd warn you that your dads back in town, by the way…", She informed cautiously as she faced the kitchen counter again, "I saw him in the week."

"I don't care.", Rick couldn't be bothered to think about his father. He was still annoyed with him and simply couldn't bear the thought of seeing him anytime soon, but he felt differently when it came to Michonne.

He still cringed when he thought about their last encounter. Their first friendly conversation ended like a trainwreck all because he had no tact. He truly believed that asking her out on a date would be the best way for them to get to know one and other without his family hovering in the background, but he didn't take into consideration just how bad that could be received. Even though she hadn't declined, she certainly made him feel like the rear end of a donkey for even making the offer, to begin with so he felt inclined to make things right between them.

He would have adhered's to Lori's suggestion if her had Michonne's number, and even though he could have easily asked his ex-wife to ask her fiance for her details but he didn't want Lori to involve herself any further in his tragic romantic life, so he did the next best thing and decided to pass by her fiance's mother's property on his way home. He'd met the woman through his father years before Lori and Brian began dating so he hoped that it wouldn't seem odd for him to turn up unannounced.

Brian's mother lived on a sizable estate and one of the few Victorian homes still standing in Kings County. Rick never knew what the woman's family did or why they were so wealthy, but he was almost certain that he didn't want to know. He drove down the long driveway and stopped near five other vehicles when he noticed the front door was open, and the lady of the house sauntered onto her grand front porch.

"Well hello there Richard Junior, I was expecting to see you here?", Like a lot of the other older women in King's County, she dressed to impress; She wore formal and elaborate dresses that consisted of lace and frills. Her frail hands were donned in fine pieces of jewelry and her silver hair was wrapped in a loose bun that sat on the top of her head.

Rick gave her a gentle nod as he placed himself on the bottom step, "Good afternoon, Mrs. Baudelaire. How are you?"

"I'm fine, son", She had a way of looking at people through narrowed eyes, and it made it seem as if she already knew what they were going to say before they said it, "What brings you to this neck of the woods? You looking for anybody in particular? Because I can't imagine that it was just myself that brought you over here…"

Rick shifted uneasily, "Well, yes. Actually, I was hoping to catch Brian? Lori told me he was over here"

"He certainly is. Didn't you notice his monstrosity parked in the driveway?"

"I did wonder if that was his…", Rick glanced back towards Brian's silver SUV, which was parked on the other side of a dated luxury vehicle, but what really caught his eyes was the black little sports car parked the furthest away from his. He immediately recognized it.

"Mary, I just need to get the other swatches from my car", Michonne announced hurriedly as she stalked out the front door. She looked even more put together than she usually did, wearing a white blouse that cinched at her tiny waist and a pair of tight black pants. Her dark dreadlocks were pulled into a neat ponytail and she had on a pair of clear-rimmed glasses that framed her face perfectly, "I can't find the ones that you… Picked…"

She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Rick and immediately looked annoyed. Rick swallowed. Mary Baudelaire slyly looked from one person to another, and her thin lips curled into a weak smile, "That's fine Michonne, but have you met the dear Richard Junior?"

"I have", She answered coldly, "Hello, Rick"

"Michonne", Rick croaked out, "Nice to see you"

She made no attempt to appear friendly.

"Such a _frosty_ reception… I'd love to hear why that is someday", Mary purred with amusement, "Until then, why don't I just get my son out here¬"

Rick side eyed the old women, "Uh, it's fine actually. Thank you, ma'am"

"I see. Well, we were just taking a little break... Michonne has shown me some lovely patterns and prints that I'm gonna' have to look over when she's not perched over me like some kinda' hawk", Mary slid her eyes over to Michonne as she grinned, "I'll leave the two of you can 'catch' up while I prepare some fresh tea…"

Rick watched as Mary spun around at a snails speed and sashayed back into her home. He had a feeling that she had managed to work out just what was going on. He looked to Michonne when he heard her heels hitting the porch steps, "Uh… Can we¬"

"We can't.", She shot back easily. She didn't bother to look at him as she headed to her car, "So if you can excuse me, I'm actually working right now¬"

"I know, I'm sorry", He followed her, "I came over here to catch Brian¬ I don't have your number so I couldn't call you and apologise¬ So I thought I'd see if he had it¬"

"You could have looked me up and left a message if you had something to say", She countered. She yanked her the back door to her car door open and began looking in the back seat.

"You're right, I could have done that but uh… For some reason I didn't think of that", Rick couldn't believe that he was already starting to sweat, "But since you're here... I just… I just need a moment, Michonne"

She spun back around to look at him, "A moment for what?"

He swallowed, "..To apologize. Properly."

Her fierce brown eyes scanned all over his face like lasers, "I don't need an apology from you."

Ricks' head jerked back as he frowned at her, "No, I think you do. I certainly feel as though I owe you one."

"Well I don't, so let's just forget about it", She said with an air of finality to her tone, "Just move on and forget about it."

Rick didn't like that and even though he was willing to say just about anything to defuse the situation, he still felt it wouldn't be fair to brush another awkward encounter under the rug, "...I'm sorry if I confused you or anythan' like that. I wasn't trying to. I wanted to get to know you better so I was hoping that I could take you out sometime. That was all."

Michonne pursed her lips together as she gave him a stern look.

"I was hoping that…", Rick stopped himself for a moment and tried to pick his words carefully, "I could apologize and maybe approach thangs a little differently… Since you didn't say no..."

Her eyebrows sprung up and as soon as her lips began to part he held up his hand to stop her.

"You said you can't give me an answer right then…", He noticed her lips snap shut, "And I've been around you enough to know that you don't mince your words and you've been pretty upfront with thangs so I think if you wanted to say no, then you would have done, right there and then…"

Michonne expression softened just a tad, "I can't believe that I have to repeat this, but this is not a good idea. It's a bad one. A ridiculous one¬"

"I know. Trust me, I've thought about it over and over again…", He raked his fingers through his hair, "And you're right. It's not."

"Then why on earth are you pushing this?"

"...Like I said before, I think you're the smarter one out of you and I.", He was hoping a light joke might brighten the mood.

To his relief, she scoffed as she dropped her gaze to her shoes, "I'm starting to believe that."

His eyes didn't leave her face as he asked, "...So what do you think?"

She let her gaze meet his again and she sighed, "...I think you're an idiot."

Rick bit the inside of his cheek as he prepared for her to cut him down to size.

"I'm not usually the kind of person who cares what everybody else thinks but this place is small and I know that everyone knows everyone. Your father introduced me to a lot of people when I was down here and I can already imagine the things they might say if they see me hanging around with you¬ And that wouldn't be so bad if you didn't have a family, but you do. So I don't want to make anyone a target for rumors and unnecessary attention"

"...I understand that, and I appreciate that… But I don't care about all of that either. I said it before and I have no problem saying it again; my kids really like you… In fact, Judith told me today that she wanted to be a fish that wore hats and Carl had to explain to Lori and I that she was talking about somethan' you said to them", Rick knew he was making some headway with his argument when he saw her eyes light up, "And Lori's probably more a fan of you than myself so that.. That's enough for me. No one else matters and no one else's' opinion matters."

Michonne still looked hesitant; so hesitant that Rick thought that she would give him a clear 'No' this time around, but she surprised him by leading their brief discussion in a new direction, "...We hardly know each other…"

"I know"

"And I haven't got as many nice things to say about you as you said about me"

Rick cringed, "...That's fair"

"And that doesn't make me feel any better about all of this"

He thought he would start to sweat again, "Uh… Well¬"

"So if we're going to entertain that idea of yours then I want to feel as though I'm not walking into this blindly", She crossed her arms over her chest as she summarised her point.

He appeared confused, "...So, what exactly does that¬"

"We can spend some time together, and if that goes well then we can consider the possibility of going on a date", She nodded her head as though she was happy with her conclusion.

Rick was so pleased with her final answer that he readily agreed, "Yeah, that's fine by me… Uh, we can have dinner or somethan'?"

"That sounds like a date", She deadpanned, "Something a little less formal... Like fishing. We can do the whole… Fishing thing again"

His eyebrows sprung up, "You… You wanna' go fishing again? I mean yeah, we can do that¬"

" _With_ your kids."

He blinked at her, "...You want me to bring Carl and Judith? On purpose?"

"Yes. It will make it seem even less like a date", She explained casually, then added, "And it'll be a good excuse for me to see them again."

Rick could see she was serious, which was both endearing and amusing to him. He nodded his head and tried to hide his grin, "That's a good idea."

"Fine.", She turned back to her car and climbed inside for a short while, then held out a little card to him, "Here"

He took it and quickly skimmed over her details, "Alright. I'll give you a call and we can set somethan' up"

She stepped out of her car with booklets under her arm and closed the door, "Alright."

Rick looked back at the home as he said, "Well I'll let you get back to work… And thank you for giving me that moment"

"It's fine", She smoothed her blouse as she started to walk away from him, "Bye."

"Bye, Michonne"

Rick watched her disappear inside the house while fidgeting with the card in his fingertips. For the first time in a long time he had something to really look forward to, and even though she had agreed to see him under strict conditions, she was still open to the idea of going on a date with him in the future. That meant that he'd have to do everything in his power to show her that there was a kind, responsible and desirable mate beneath his simple, country exterior. It also meant that he would have to consider the possibility of bribing his children to be on their best behavior, too.


End file.
